FROM THIS EPISODE

Yesterday, Paul Tanaka suddenly resigned as LA Sheriff Lee Baca's top assistant. Tanaka has been under pressure since a blue ribbon commission on jail violence came close to recommending that he be fired, and because of reports that he promoted sheriff's deputies for contributing to his campaigns for Mayor of Gardena. Tuesday he was elected to a third term. What will his departure mean for the Sheriff's department and Baca's own prospects for re-election next year? Also, a new book about California's coastline: 1100 miles of wilderness, industrial development and beach culture all crucial to Golden State History. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, is economic recovery increasing economic inequality?

Paul Tanaka is the top appointee of LA County Sheriff Lee Baca. Tuesday, Tanaka was elected to a third term as Mayor of Gardena. Yesterday, he resigned as Undersheriff after 33 years in the department, effective on August 1 -- when he becomes eligible for full retirement pay.

From rocky cliffs at the Oregon border, to the Golden Gate, to the Southland's sunny beaches, the California coast is 1100 miles long. In his new book, The Golden Shore: California's Love Affair with the Sea, environmentalist and reporter David Helvarg explores how the coastline has helped shaped the state’s unique identity. KCRW’s Saul Gonzalez talked to him a few steps away from the Redondo Beach Pier. (Helvarg's top five "must visit" places on the California coast.)